7 secrets of highly happy childrenHuffington PostWhen it comes to kids, people just don't think about happiness enough these days. They think about success. They think in comparisons. They think about milestones, graduations and shiny trophies. (The ones they earned, of course. Because, you know, not everyone deserves a trophy these days).

Let the Children PlayLet the Children Play celebrates the importance of play in the lives and education of our children by sharing my own experiences in a play-based preschool and providing inspiration, tips and information to help parents and teachers alike put the play back into childhood.

Parents can access unlicensed day care complaintsToronto StarThe provincial government has pledged to make all complaints against unlicensed day cares available online in a searchable database so parents can learn if their caregiver has been taking in more children than the legal limit.

Parents launch $3.5 million lawsuit over daughter's day care deathWinnipeg Free Press via The Canadian Press The death of a two-year-old girl at an overcrowded home day care north of Toronto was preventable and due to the owners' negligence, her devastated family is alleging as they launch a multi-million-dollar lawsuit.
Eva Ravikovich was an "absolutely healthy" and happy little girl when the day care operator picked her up on July 8, the girl's mother said.
"Every child to every parent is a special one, but this girl was just amazing," said Ekaterina Evtropova, 26, in a news conference announcing the lawsuit.

It may not be sugar that makes your kids go wildThe Vancouver SunSugar makes my kids go completely wild and hyperactive. I've heard this myth all my life and I'm still hearing it today. In the early '70s, allergist Ben Feingold even designed a diet for children to prevent sugar-related wildness. Many teachers and doctors still believe it, but few diet-related myths have been so thoroughly debunked.
Scientists simply can't find a connection between sugar and hyperactivity.

Guelph home to Ontario's first licensed outdoor preschoolCBC NewsAt Guelph Outdoor Preschool a group of three- to six-year-olds gathers to listen to a story told under an apple tree. They've been outside for most of the afternoon and as a light breeze rustles the leaves above, you can tell that most of them are tiring out. This day care, based at Guelph's sprawling and green Ignatius Centre, is the first licensed outdoors-based program in Ontario.

Parents can access unlicensed complaintsToronto StarThe Ontario provincial government has pledged to make all complaints against unlicensed day cares available online in a searchable database so parents can learn if their caregiver has been taking in more children than the legal limit. "It is important for parents to have access to as much information as possible when making decisions about child care options," Education Minister Liz Sandals wrote in a statement.

Teach kids to deal with their feelingsNorth Shore NewsEight-year-old Oliver comes to his mom and says that he's worried about his dad flying home from Toronto. He saw a news story about a plane crash and is afraid that there will be an accident. "Don't be silly" his mom responds. "Dad has taken lots of flights and always comes home safely. He will be fine."

Kids aren't playing hockey like they used toMississauga.comLast winter, Hockey Canada and Bauer Hockey commissioned an independent survey to better understand the challenges facing non-hockey-playing families. The results were stunning. A whopping 90 per cent of the 875 families surveyed in Ontario and Nova Scotia kept their kids out of hockey.

Back to school: 2013 shopping guide for parentsHuffington Post CanadaAugust is when back-to-school anxiety starts to heat up… for moms and dads at least. Now's the time to shop for pencils and search for books, to keep your kids from having teachers with dirty looks. Here are some useful school supplies that will help you feel cool and confident heading into September — for the sake of your children, of course.

Special summer camp teaches kids how to cope with asthmaCTV NewsWhen it comes to kids having fun during the summer months, it often involves a trip to camp. However, health issues sometimes stand in the way of kids having a fun, carefree experience. At Camp Asthmatopia, in Bright, N.B., children who live with asthma get to laugh, play and make memories, while learning more than just how to have fun.

Keep nature part of the back to school scheduleNRPAThe summer is always a great time to connect kids to nature. Many of you worked summer-long to conduct nature camps, environmental learning programs, backyard family campouts and more to help foster interest in nature and stewardship among the younger generation. But, we should not dismiss fall as a time to shelve those programs; with its cooling temperatures and autumn beauty fall is a prime opportunity to get kids into the great outdoors.

We earn more than $100,000 a year. Why can't we afford day care?The Globe and MailThe fact is, day care costs come at a time when new parents likely have the least amount of money in their adult life: they're fresh from school and frequently burdened with student debt; they're just starting out in their careers and so are often earning entry-level wages; they've potentially made their first home purchase.

Study: Kids born by C-section may be more prone to allergiesToronto SunChildren born by caesarean section are more likely to have allergies, a small study suggests. Researchers from universities in Sweden and Scotland said this is because they have less diverse gut bacteria that's believed to help protect against allergies.

Clear priority: Vision tests for school-age childrenToronto StarAccording to the Canadian Association of Optometrists, one in six children has a vision problem that makes it difficult to learn and read. When vision impairment goes unchecked, it becomes a kind of invisible disability, affecting literacy, numeracy and skill development. It can also contribute to social exclusion, as a child may hold herself back from play with peers, because of poor sight.

Ontario education ministry's tips for parents when selecting a daycareEdmonton JournalOntario's Ministry of Education has some pointers for parents selecting a daycare for their child. The first step, the ministry says, is to consider your needs, such as how many hours you will need your child to be there, its location and if you are looking for a home-based program or a child-care centre.

Back to school: Tips and recipes for selecting lunch gear, how to fill itThe StarPhoenixSelecting lunch gear used to be simple. Stuff your lunch into a paper bag or pick the box decorated with whichever movie, television or toy character your kid was most smitten with. Done. Things are a bit more complicated today. Lunch box styles vary from soft-sided cooler bags to Japanese-inspired bento boxes, even Indian tiffin canisters. They can have built-in ice packs. They can be microwaved. So how do you choose?